By the Tree
by shmulia
Summary: For Avatar Sakura, saving the world has got to be an easier task than dealing with her teachers...


Sakura's training was not going well.

Naruto and Sasuke were arguing over which element Sakura was meant to be practising, whilst Kakashi was sitting against a tree reading Jiraiya's latest book. Sakura sighed as she leaned against the same tree Kakashi was next to. She had thought that finding teachers to help her master all four elements would be the hardest part of her training, as there were very few ninjas who could be called true masters of their element; however, it was looking like the increasing antagonism between her friends-turned-teachers may be her biggest issue.

"She's spent far too much time on airbending, Naruto. I know she's new to it, but the Avatar needs to master _all four elements_, remember? She still has a long way to go with firebending, and we can't afford to delay it any longer – she can't prioritise one element, or she'll forget the others!" Sasuke snapped. Naruto crossed his arms belligerently, prepared to stand his ground.

"You said it yourself, she's new to airbending! She needs to practise more, her technique is incredibly poor-"

"Hey!" Sakura protested from her position by the tree.

"-not to mention the fact that you're being ridiculous. Sakura isn't going to _forget_ how to bend the other elements. It would be easier for her to forget how to walk. Once you've learnt to bend an element, it's always going to be there; you can't unlearn it, and you know that, Sasuke." Naruto retorted, surprisingly serious for once.

"Point to Naruto," Kakashi said quietly, so that only Sakura could hear him. She snorted as she folded her arms, shaking her head at her arguing teachers.

"That still doesn't justify monopolising her time for one element. You think her firebending's perfect? Far from it!"

"I'm standing right here you know!" Sakura said loudly. The two boys either didn't hear her, or ignored her.

"So?" Naruto snapped. "It's still better than her airbending! She needs to continue with it, otherwise she'll stop improving because of neglecting the element!"

"But that's exactly what's happening with her firebending, Naruto!"

Sakura slid down the tree to sit next to her earthbending teacher. "By the time they've finished arguing, they'll have wasted the day," she said, glaring menacingly at the pair.

Kakashi turned the page in his book. "You could intervene you know. Avatar, keeper of the peace and all that." Sakura turned her glare towards him.

"I _could,_" she replied, stretching her arms over her head and yawning, "but you know, I think the Avatar deserves a day off. Besides, even I wouldn't get between those two. I'm not suicidal."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "You're not going to persuade Sasuke to let Naruto teach you airbending instead of firebending? What's wrong?" he asked Sakura.

"Nothing!" she replied indignantly. "I could just use a break. I mean, between you three and Tsunade, I'm hardly slacking off on my Avatar duties if I have one day of relaxation."

Kakashi shut his book, and stared at her. "I don't believe you. You've been desperate to learn airbending since you learned you were the Avatar, and I know for a fact you enjoy it more than firebending. So why aren't you over there persuading Sasuke to let you refine your air skills with Naruto today?"

Sakura glanced at Sasuke and Naruto, who were still debating who should get training priority with the Avatar. "It sounds stupid," she said to Kakashi.

"Tell me anyway."

Sakura paused, trying to put her thoughts into words.

"It's just... we haven't been a team very long. I know Sasuke's still adapting to having Naruto around as an equal, rather than... well, as Naruto. I mean, even I'm still surprised he's become my airbending teacher."

Kakashi nodded at this; until a month ago, Naruto hadn't shown any signs of being a superior airbender. Then, when an attack on Konoha had occurred, he had used a technique mastered only by the previous Avatar – his father. Tsunade discovered that Naruto had been mastering his airbending in secret, and his skills far surpassed those who had been studying the element for years. His talent for airbending had lead to Naruto trying to teach his techniques to Sakura, whose prior attempts to master the element had failed miserably. They soon found that Naruto was a good teacher, and Sakura was finally learning the final element which had been missing from her Avatar repertoire.

"And the thing is," Sakura continued, "I think it's difficult for them. Sasuke's only ever had to teach me firebending, with no competition for my training time as I'd already learnt waterbending and earthbending. And Naruto is teaching me a new element, so wants me to focus on that. They're competing with each other. I feel like this tension has been building for a while, and I just think that maybe they need to argue it out. You know, vent their feelings so they can finally focus on my training, rather than on their individual elements. Does that make sense?" she said, hoping Kakashi followed her logic.

Her mentor smiled. "Sakura, that's one of the wisest things you've said. Sometimes, to maintain the peace in the long run, you have to allow people to release their feelings, even if that creates a brief confrontation." He nodded towards Sasuke and Naruto. "As long as it doesn't hurt anyone else, it's important to let others know what page you're on. Otherwise, nothing will ever be accomplished successfully."

Sakura closed her eyes, and leaned her head on the trunk of the tree. "Maybe I'm not as bad at all this keeping the peace stuff than I thought I was, then."

"Well, good luck with that, because I think your teachers want a word with you." Kakashi said. Sakura opened her eyes to see Sasuke walking towards her, Naruto beside him floating on a ball of air, apparently for no other reason than to annoy Sasuke.

"Finished arguing, have you?" she asked the pair of them, curious to know which of them had won the battle.

"Hmmph," Sasuke snorted. "Well, we decided we weren't getting anywhere, as _someone,_" he glared at Naruto, "is too stubborn to admit defeat."

"Yeah, you!" Naruto retorted, although with less annoyance in his voice than before.

"Anyway, we thought the best course of action would be to ask what _you_ want to do, Sakura." Sasuke said.

"Yeah. Which element do you want to practise?" Naruto asked, looking at the Avatar hopefully.

Sakura could only gawp at them. She hadn't actually expected a sensible resolution; she had been looking forward to a nap whilst they argued.

"Ah... well..." The two of them were watching her, Sasuke with a look that almost dared her to choose airbending instead of firebending, whilst Naruto looked like a hopeful puppy.

"How about I do a couple of hours of airbending, and then some firebending? Just to keep me up to scratch. And then back to airbending?" she said, desperately hoping that her quick compromise would satisfy both parties. Naruto smiled enthusiastically at this idea, whilst Sasuke nodded once to indicate his approval. Kakashi reopened his book, anticipating that he would not be required to help. Sakura stood up, and tried to create a ball of air on which she could ride next to Naruto. She managed to create one, and promptly fell off.

"See? Told you her technique needed work," Naruto whispered to Sasuke, not as quietly as he intended. Sakura saw Sasuke try not to smile, and not quite succeed. She rolled her eyes.

As she tried to make another ball of air, she thought that as long as she could keep the peace between those two, the rest of the world would be no problem at all.


End file.
